Signature-gathering machine.



C. A. JUENGST.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 10,1905

No. 893,510. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

`(1. A. JUENGST. SIGNATURE GATHBRING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 10l 1901i.

2 SHEETS-SHEET CHRLES A. JUENGST, OF CROTON FALLS, NEW YORK.

SIGNATURE-GATHERING MACmNE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented .my 1e, iremos.

Application inea July 1o, 1905. serial No. 268,909.

To all lwhom 'it may concern;

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. JUENGST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Croton Falls, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented an -Improvement in Signature-Gatherin Machines, of which the following is a spec' cation.

My present improvement in signature gathering machines has s ecial reference to the conveying and forwarding devices for the groups of signatures or sheets as `they are progressively superimpose In collating signatures or sheets special attention is paid to getting the back and upper edges true and strictly in even line as the same is essential for binding and for the alining of the headlines after thevupper folded edges are cut, and the object of my invention is the production of devices acting automatically in connection with the conveying and forwarding devices for alining and evening up the signatures or sheets of the groups as progressively superimposed, especially to true and even the backs and upper edges.

In the device of my invention and in combination with the gripper devices for removing the signatures and sheets from the superimposed piles and delivering the same in the signature trough I employ in addition to the conveyer a varlable speed auxiliary conveyerv 4timed during a period for an accelerated or more rapid movement over the main conveyer and for an intermediateperiod for a retarded movement over the main conveyer, and the movement of this device effects a jogging of the signatures or sheets, tending to aline and even up the same. I prefer to so time the operative parts that this jogging movement shall be given to each pile of the superimposed signatures or sheets etween the respective place of delivery of the said signatures or sheets to the conveyer so that as the completedpiles of signatures or sheets are delivered by the conveyer for binding they are in perfect alinement, at least at the back and upper ortop edges.

In the device of my improvement the variable speed auxiliary conveyer for its contact with thepiles of superimposed signatures runs side by side and parallel through the conveyer trough with vthe main conve er. Both conveyers are, by preference, driven from a power shaft by sprockets and a chain, and each conveyer chain is driven by its sprocket, bevel gears and shaft. These latter shafts are not in line but are slightly loH-set or out of line from one another and are connected for rotation by crank-arms, the driving one of which with its shaftis actuated uniformly by a sprocket of the 'driving chain, the same crank-arm bearin upon the other or driven crank-arm an obviously by this arrangement of these devices and the eccentricity of the areas swept by the arms, the speed of movement of the parts Will vary. This device per se, constitutes a well known mechanical movement forvarying the speed of rotation of one of the shafts while the other isconstant, the one of variable speed having a more rapid rotation during part of its movement than that of the shaft havinga constant speed.Y This is hereinafter particularly described.

In the drawing, Figure l is an elevation at one end of a signature gathering machine showing suiiicient of the same to indicate its character and showing the adjacent ends of the main and auxiliary conveyers, their connecting and operating devices. Fig. 2 is an elevation and partial section at the dotted line at the right hand end of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan representing a form of ,my invention and also of so much of the parts shown in Fig. 1 as is necessary to illustrate the relation of the plate supports for the signatures or sheets to the conveyer trough and the superimposed piles of signatures or sheets. Fig. 4 is a broken diagrammatic plan of the main and auxiliary conveyers, and Fig. 5 is a sideelevation, partial section and'diagrammatic view of the crank-arms and their eccentric rotative relation.

a represents so much of the frame of a signature gatherlng machine as may be necessary for the support of the brackets a 11.2 connected thereto, and which brackets are provided with three bearings each for shafts.

b re resents the conveyer-troughconnected to an supported by the brackets and frame: b a sucker device of usual character in this art: c plate supV orts for superimposed piles of signatures or s eets: c a gripper-arm and c2 gripper fingers as employed in this art, reference hereby being made to my former Letters Patent No. 7 61,496, dated May 31st, 1904, in which these parts and their operations are fully described.

d is the main conveyer chain and d pins at ifntervals connected thereto and rising thererom.

e is a sprocket at one end around which the a bevel-wheel e2. In other bearings of the l'tation is imparted to the conveyer chain asses and by which it is driven and ea W eel at the other end of the vchain formin a guide therefor. The s rocket ve is upon a s aft in a bearing of the racket a', land at the lower end of the said shaft is bracket a lplace a horizontal shaft f with a bevel pinion f thereon meshi 0' with the bevel-wheel e2. On this shaft there is a crank-arm]2 and on the end of the shaft a crank-arm h. The crank-arm]r2 is clamped to the shaft, while between the crank-arms and loose on the shaft f is a sprocket g, said sprocket g and the crank-arm h being connected to ether by a in h2, shown in Fig. 1 in dottedI ines and in vi 5 in cross section.

h is a power shaft an g2 a sprocket thereon, g belng a driving chain extending around the sprockets g and g2 so as to communicate the power of the driving shaft v h to the sprocket g. The loose sprocket gis provided with a stud g3 on one side, the end of which bears against the crank-armjr2 and with the rotation of the said sprocket g by the driving chain g, sprocket g2 and. power shaft h, ya rocrank arm f2, shaft f andbevel 'pinion f. These parts in turn effect the rotation of the bevel pinion e2, its shaft, the s rocket e and the main conve er chain d witIh its pins d', the same effecting the progressive movement through the conveyer trough of the piles of superimposedsignatures or sheets as laid therein by the said gripper-arms and fingers.

The auxiliary conveyer i is provided with pins z" which rise therefrom. lhis auxiliary yconveyer at one end asses around a sprocket lc u on a-shaftin a Ibearing of the sleeve a2, an at its other end said auxiliaryconveyer passes freely around a wheel k which acts as a guide therefor. On the lower end of the shaft of the s rocket k is a bevel-wheel k2 in mesh with a vel-pinion Z upon a shaft Z. This shaft l is shown as occupying a horizontal position in bearings of the bracket a2. Upon one end of the shaft Z is a crank-arm m clam ed thereto, and at its free end carrying' a rol er m. The shafts j' and Z, as will be seen by reference to Figs. i! and '5, are not on the same .line but are offset or out of line in vertical planes and also preferably slightly offset or out of line in horizontal planes, but they come sufficiently close endwise to one another so that the loose sprocket g and its crank-arm h are in no danger of coming off the shaft i Referring to Fig. 5, the dotted circle 2, represents the pat 1 ofthe crank-arm m and its roller m', and the dotted circle 3 represents the ath of the crank-arm h, from which it will beapparent that these circular paths are eccentric to one another.

ln the operation of the device, hereinbei fore described, the power shaft ley 1s revolved g by any desired or suitable mecbanlsm form- 1 ing no part of my present invention. By it rotation is imparted to the sprocket yL and driving-chain g, so as to revolve the loose sprocket g on the shaft f and because the crank-arm h is pinned to the sprocket g these two members .turn together about the shaft f as a center. This revolution of the sprocket g through the stud g3 bearing upon the crank-arm f2 rotates the shaft j, the bevel-pinion f', at a constant s eed and through the same rotates the beve -wheel e2, its shaft, the sprocket e and causes a travel of' the conveyer chain d and its pins d', and this being the main conveyer and the movement thereof being thereby continuous, the signatures or sheets as collated and superimposed in the conveyer trough are moved along toward the end of the machine. With the rotation of the sprocket g'and crank-arm h in one direction only, said crank-arm is continuously bearing upon the surface of the roller m of the crank-arm m, and the pressure thus exerted causes the rotation ofthe crank-arm m, the shaft Z, the bevel-pinion Z', the bevel-wheel k2, its shaft and the sprocket lc, imparting to the auxiliary conveyer i and its ins i a movement in the same direction as t at of the main conveyer chain d and its pins d.

It is evident, especially from Fig. 5 and from the eccentric paths of the crank-arms h and m that the roller m must move over the advancing face of the crank-arm h as the parts revolve, consequently in one position the roller m is near the hub of the crankarm k and in the opposite position it is near the free end of the crank-arm k. It will be, therefore, understood that when lthe roller m is nearest to the hub of the Vcrank-arm h the movement imparted thereby to the' crank-arm m will be slower than when the roller is near the free end of said crank-arm which occurs at the place where `thetwo dotted circles come nearest together, and lat this lace the crank-arm m will be moving the P s fastest; also it will be a parent that for onehalf of the rotation of t e crank-arm lm and its shaft Z, while the roller m is moving toward the hub of the crank-arm h', that there y will be a retarding action of the movement of the auxiliary half of the rotation up to the maximum, an increased or more rapid movement of the auxiliary conveyer. The parts are so placed and timed that the maximum velocity of the lmovement imparted to the conve er 'and its pins l takes place substantia lysimultaneously with or slightly after the delivery of each signature or sheet by the gripper-s onto the superimposed piles of signatures or sheets in the conveyer trough, thus producing at about the instant of maximum velocitv a jogging movement against the corresponding edges of the signatures or sheets; having the function of evening the same up and this conveyer and during the other evening movement takes place regardless of the number of superimposed signatures or sheets in the trough that are being-carried along b the conveyer.

It wil be noticed, especially from Fig. 2, that the conveyer trough is inclined downward toward an edge that is upturned at right angles to the surface upon which the signatures or sheets are delivered. The back e ges of the signatures lie against this upturned edge of the trough, therefore, lthe jogging of the signatures or sheets also has a tendency to settle the same truly along these back edges. I may further assistthis function of the conveyer by. a series of brushes 0 adjustably mounted upon a rod o', Figs. 2 and 3,'the action of these brushes with the 'progressive movement of the superimposed slgnatures or sheets,

being upon their outer edges tending to feed or brush the same into line, so that all of their top edges will come against the pins d of the conveyer chain, it

being a fact that 1n the form of my invention more rapid movement than the conveyer andv causing an impact upon corresponding edges of the signatures or sheets as t ey are superim osed for bringing thesame into alinement` an coincidence.

2. A signature gathering machine having in combination, gripper devices, a receiving trou h, a conveyer chain and means indepen ent of said conveyer chain acting with a more rapid movement than the conveyer and causing an impact upon corres onding edges of the signatures or sheets as t eyare superimposed for bringing both the back and the u dper or top edges into alinement and coinc1 ence.

3. The combination in a signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures o r sheets, of a forwarding conveyer and an auxiliary conveyer located to act on sheets or signatures in the same trough, and means for imparting. a variable speed to the auxiliary conveyer.

4. The combination in a si nature gathering machine with the griplper evices anda receiving trough for piles, o superimposed signatures or sheets, of a forwarding conveyer, an adj acent auxiliary conveyer substantially paral el therewith and acting on the signatures or sheets in the same trough, and means for imparting a variable speed to the auxiliary conveyer timed during one ortion of the period for a faster movement than the main conveyer and during another ortion of the eriod for a slower movement or effecting a jogging of the signatures or sheets.

5. The combination in a signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures or sheets, of a forwarding conveyer', an adjacent auxiliary conveyer moving in the same directionjand means for imparting a periodically variable speed to the auxiliary conveyer, each period bein completed between successive deliveries o the slgnatures or sheets by the grippers.

6. The combination in a signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures or sheets, of a forwarding conveyer, an auxiliary conveyer and means for imparting a periodically variable speed to the said auxiliary conveyer, the said auxiliary conveyer being timed for regular eriodically faster movements'than that of t e mainy conveyer for effecting a jogging of the signatures or sheets and for alternating slower movements.

7. In a signature gathering machine, the combination with the gripper devices, a receiving trough for the signatures and sheets and a ower'shaft, of a shaft and means for l actuating the same from the power shaft,

another shaft whose axis is parallel with the .axis of the second shaft, crank-arms upon adjacent ends of said latter shafts, the one crank-arm being moved by the other, whereby the regular rotation of one shaft imparts a variable rotation to the other, a main conveyer and means for actuating the same from the second of said shafts, an auxiliary conveyer parallel with the main conveyer, and intermediate means for actuating the same from the last of said shaftsvwhereby the main conveyer is given a steady progressive movement and the auxiliary conveyer a variable speed.

8. The combination in a signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures or sheets, of a forwarding conveyer passing longitudinally through said receiving trough, means for imparting a uniform continuous movement to said main conveyer, an auxiliary conveyer alsoy moving longitudinally of the same trough and parallel with the main conveyer, both conveyers acting on the same signatures or sheets, and means for imparting a variablespeed to the said auxiliary conveyer.

9. The combination in a signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures or sheets, of a forwarding conveyer passing longitudinally through said receiving trough, means for imparting a uniform continuous movement to said main conveyer, an auxiliary conveyer l 10. The combination inla signature gathering machine with the gripper devices and a receiving trough for signatures or sheets, of aforwarding conveyer passing longitudinally through said receiving trough, means for imparting a uniform continuous movement to said main conveyer, an auxiliary conveyer also moving longitudinally of the trough and parallel with the main conveyer, meansvfor imparting a periodically variable speed to the said auxillary conveyer, the latter means being timed for regular periodically faster movements than the main conveyer for ef-` fecting a jpgging of the signatures or sheets and for alternating slower movements.

11-. In a signature gatherin machine, the combination with a power sha t and s rocket thereon` and a driving chain actuate /thereby, of two shafts out of line from one another and whose axes are parallel, a sprocket loose on one of said shafts around which the driving chain passes, a crank-arm also loose upon said shaft but secured to said sprocket, a crank-armyc2 secured upon one of said shafts,

acrank-arm m secured upon the ad acent end of the other of said shafts and a rol free end of the crank-arm m engaged by the crank-arm secured to the sprocket, a stud g3 upon said sprocket contacting with the crank-arm f2 whereby the rotation of the sprocket loose upon one shaft with its crankarm and stud are adapted to actuate both shafts in `the same direction, a main conveyer and intermediate devices connecting the same with -one of said .shafts to which rotation is imparted by the crank-armfz, an aux'- iliary conveyer parallel with and closely adjacent to the main conveyer, and. devices for actuating Ythe same, substantially 'as set forth. i

12. The combination in a signaturegathering machine with the gripper devices, a re-v ceiving trough for signatures andsheets and a forwarding conveyer, of a side by side and.Y parallel auxiliary conveyer and means for 1mparting a variable speed to veyers.

Signed by me this 23rd day of June 1905.

CHAS. J UENGSI.

one of said con- Witnesses:

GEo. T. PINoKNnY, S. T. HAVILAND.

ler on the p 

